Taxpayer Funding of Religious Charities Unconstitutional U.S. District Judge Crabb Halts Funds for Faith Works |
Compiled by GayToday Americans United for the Separation of Church and State
In her ^Freedom from Religion Foundation v. McCallum ~ruling, Judge Crabb held that a state grant to the Faith Works "constitutes unrestricted, direct funding of an organization that engages in religious indoctrination" in violation of the church-state provisions of the First Amendment. Advocates of church-state separation hailed the ruling. "This is a tremendous victory for individual freedom," said Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
This decision is the first federal court decision striking down federal aid to religious groups under the controversial "charitable choice" provisions of the 1996 federal welfare reform law. The challenge to funding of religion in Wisconsin was brought by the Freedom from Religion Foundation. |